As anticipated by FW MAG a few months ago, French defence specialist Arquus has made an official joint announcement with German truck manufacturer Daimler Truck at the Forum Entreprises Défense 2025 (Satory, France), introducing the ZETROS by Arquus tactical military vehicle. This collaboration combines Daimler's proven 6x6 permanent chassis with Arquus's specialised military integration expertise.

The partnership leverages complementary strengths to deliver sovereign, competitive mobility solutions for French and European forces whilst strengthening the European Defence Industrial and Technological Base. Arquus, now part of the John Cockerill Group since 2024, brings extensive militarisation capabilities and weapons systems integration to Daimler's robust ZETROS platform.

The ZETROS already serves with over 15,000 vehicles deployed across international armed forces, including Canada, Lithuania, and Ukraine. The new Arquus variant promises significant added value through comprehensive militarisation, equipment integration, and versatile configurations ranging from armoured to unprotected variants for troop transport and logistics operations.

The vehicle accommodates two crew members in an optimised protection cabin whilst maintaining a payload capacity exceeding 6 tonnes regardless of integration type or cabin configuration. Emmanuel Levacher, Arquus CEO, emphasised the company's commitment to providing French forces with "a robust and proven military truck with high-level tactical performance and maximum proximity to units for Maintenance in Operational Condition operations".

Both partners maintain strong French operations. Arquus operates five centres of excellence across France - Limoges, Saint-Nazaire, Garchizy, Satory, and Lisses - employing over 1,400 personnel. The company currently supports nearly 25,000 vehicles of all types within the French Army, with 20,000 directly maintained by Arquus teams.

Daimler Truck assembles military vehicles at Wörth am Rhein near the French border and at its Molsheim facility in Alsace, employing over 3,000 people across its French operations. This complementary industrial footprint enables rapid production scaling with capacity for several hundred trucks monthly, providing flexibility for urgent deployments and major defence programmes.

The partnership is often referred to as part of a broader European defence industry consolidation trend, with John Cockerill's acquisition of Arquus in 2024 creating enhanced capabilities across the complete vehicle spectrum.

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